The Anchorage-based Rasmuson Foundation and the Alaska Humanities Forum have announced grants totaling more than $920,000 for twenty-eight projects commemorating the state's fiftieth anniversary of statehood in 2009.

Made through the Alaska Statehood Experience — a competitive grant program created through a partnership between AHF and Rasmuson — the awards will support projects such as a community mural in Seward, a poetry performance in Juneau, a film shot by Kotzebue youth, and a new atlas of the state. Additional support for the grant program was provided by KTUU-TV, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Newspapers Inc., KNBA-FM, Alaska Public Radio Network, and We the People, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"The Alaska Humanities Forum was thrilled to receive high-quality proposals for Alaska's Statehood Experience — and from every region and across such diverse groups," said AHF president and CEO Dr. Greg Kimura. "These projects will create an historical legacy that will outlast the fiftieth anniversary, enriching generations of Alaskans to come."

For a complete list of recipients and their projects, visit the Rasmuson Foundation Web site.